Commission publishes Code of Practice on Disinformation

26 September, Brussels – Today the European Commission published the final Code of Practice on Disinformation together with a statement from Commissioner Gabriel. The Code is the outcome of an industry self-regulatory process initiated by the Commission to fight online disinformation. Progress will be measured against KPIs set out in the Code and evaluated by an independent third party. The Commission will monitor progress and issue regular reports.

EACA has been actively engaged in the process leading up to the drafting of the Code and is a member of the Working Group and the Forum on Disinformation. Under immense time pressure from the Commission, Working Group members spent numerous hours on drafting the Code and integrating feedback from the Commission and the Sounding Board over the last three months.

The outcome is a first-of-its-kind Code outlining commitments of the industry around the scrutiny surrounding ad placements, transparency in political advertising, the closure of fake accounts and the demonetisation of purveyors of disinformation. It complements the Commission’s efforts to ensure fair, transparent and trustworthy European Elections in 2019.

A public handover is planned to take place on 10 October. Trade associations and their members are invited to sign up to the Code and join the fight against disinformation.

Access the statement of the Working Group here.